Circuit controller



Dec. 18, 1923. 1,477,917

F. Y M. SMITH CIRCUIT CONTROLLER Filed Sent. 1920 44 P WITNESSES 45 IN VEN TOR I 43 I? 1/ @idfib k! 547% 41 By 7 j P P M A TTORNE YS Patented Dec. 18, 1923.

UNITED STATES FRANK MICHEL SMITH, OF BEND, OREGON.

CIRCUIT CONTROLLER.

Application filed September 8, 1920.

'1 not? a r/2 0272 it may; concern Be it known that 1', FRANK Mrcirnn brawn. a citizen of the United States. and a resident of Bend, in the county of De.- chutes and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit Controilers, of which the following This invention relates to circuit controllers especially adapted for use in connection with signalling systems on automobiles and the like.

. 'eiiy stated, an important object is to provide a circuit closer or controller wherein the manual rotation of a crank results in successively opening and closing a cir nit for energizing a horn or the like at short intervals.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the improved circuit controller.

Figure 2 is a "ertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing in front elevation a contact ring forming a part of the circuit controller.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of the contactring.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a perspective of a contact element embodied in the invention.

In the drawing, the numeral. 32 designates a shaft adapted for operating one or more visual indicators which form no part of this invention and as illustrated in F igure 2 the upper portion of the shaft 32 is provided with a pinion 34 which meshes with second pinion 35, both of said pinions being enclosed within a housing It might be stated that the housing 33 is secured in any suitable manner to the rear side of a casing K Within which a circuit controlling mechanism is located.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the forward side of a casing K is formed at intervals of 9O with notches 39, any one of which is adapted to receive the lug 39 formed on the inner side of the crank 37, for effecting the temporary locking of the crank in any one of its four positions. The casing is also Serial No. 409,150.

of the ring is embraced by the cont-at plate P, such plate being formed of conducting material and secured to tie ring by retaining lugs 40. and provided with offset contact segments 41 which respose within the re-- cesscs of the ring. As shown in Figures and t, the inner edge of the ring is slotted diagonally preferably at intervals of 90 as indicated at 42 at points corresponding to the notches 39 of the casing K.

The Contact arm C is preferably constructed in the manner shown in Figure 7, the same being provided with a hub 43. a shank l-i having convex sides, and a flexible portion connecting the hub with the shank. As shown in Figure 2, the contact arm in its applied position within the casing K has its hub 43 fixed to the shaft 86 with the shank 4.4- engaging the ring R. The contour of the shank and the positioning of the contact arm with respect to the ring is such that the flexible portion 45 normally urges the shank to a position medially of the opposite sides of the ring R. rangement, and the formation of diagonal slots 42, it will be clear that the contact arm C in the vertical position shown in Fig ure 2, reposes within the uppermost diagonal slot 42. lVhen moving the contact arm to the left from this position, the walls of the diagonal slot will engage the convex surfaces of the shank 4st, therelrv guiding the contact arm to the rear side of the ring R. Upon continued movement of the arm to the left, the shank engages the two segmental contacts 41 to the right of the upper most slot as when viewed in Figure 4. lVhen the contact arm reaches the intermediate slot 42 to the left, the flexible portion 45 serves to move the shank to the medial position so that when the contact arm is returned to vertical position, the shank will engage the walls of the diagonal slot and thus move the contact arm to the forward side of the ring, so that during the return By virtue of this armovement or the contact arm it does notenga o e the two aforementioned contacts.

The operation of the contact arm when moving to the intermediate slot at the right from the lowern'aost slot, is the same as that just described, so that during the downward movement (it the contact arm it will engage the contact segments on one side of the ring, and when returning the same to its normal position, it will more over the torward side of the ring to disen 'age such contat Thisparticular mode of operation is designed for the purpose of causing; the horn having eectricai. connection with the contact segment all to sound a predetermined mm'iber (it d ies when moving}; the signals to any f the indicating positions.

will be understood, the contact arm C constitutes one terminus of the circuit oi the horn while the late P and its several contact segments con to the other termt nus. it will therefore be seen that when the crank 37 is moved to any one of its tour positions, the contact arm C is caused to engage the contact segments 41 disposed in its path and to thereby effect an energization of the horn each time the contact arm engages a segment.

Although I have herein shown and described. only one form of my invention, it is to he understood. that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of tie invention or the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

1 claim l. A circuit controller comprising a ring, formed o1 insulating material, said ring being formed with recesses on one side there out and diagonally arranged slots on its inner periphery, a conducting plate secured to the ring and including segmental contacts disposed within said recesses, and a contact arm urged to a medial position with respect to the sides of said contact ring.

7 2. A circuit controller comprising, a ring formed or insulating material, the inner periphery of said ring being formed of diagonally extending slots arranged in pairs, the slots of each pair reversely disposed with re spect to the sotsiof the other pair, a conducting plate embracing the periphery of said ring and including contacts disoosed at one side of said ring, and a contactarm mounted axially of the ring and urged to the medial position with respect to the op posite sides of the ring, and means for rotating said contact arm whereby, the walls of said slots function to guide said arm to engage/ one side of the ring when moved in one direction and to engage the other side when moved in the other direction. 7 p v 3, A circuit controller comprising, a ring formed of insulating material, the inner periphery of said ring being formed of diagonally extending slots arranged in pairs, the slots of each pair reversely disposed with respect to the slots of the other pair, a conducting plate embracing the periphery of said ring and including contacts disposed at one side of said ring, and accontact arm mounted axially ofthe mag and comprising, a hub, a slianlrh'ayin'g; convex sides, and a flexible portion connecting said hub and shank.

FRANK MICHEL SMITH. 

